The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America - Paperback

$27.79 - $27.79

$27.79

$27.79 - $27.79

$27.79

Availability: In Stock

SKU 9781250871480

Additional information

Report copyright infringement

by John Wood Sweet (Author)

New York Times Editors' Choice
Winner of the Bancroft Prize
Winner of the Francis Parkman Prize
Winner of the Gotham Book Prize
Winner of the New York Society Library's New York City Book Award
Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year
Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History

A riveting Revolutionary Era drama of the first published rape trial in American history and its long, shattering aftermath, revealing how much has changed over two centuries--and how much has not

On a moonless night in the summer of 1793 a crime was committed in the back room of a New York brothel--the kind of crime that even victims usually kept secret. Instead, seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer did what virtually no one in US history had done before: she charged a gentleman with rape.

Her accusation sparked a raw courtroom drama and a relentless struggle for vindication that threatened both Lanah's and her assailant's lives. The trial exposed a predatory sexual underworld, sparked riots in the streets, and ignited a vigorous debate about class privilege and sexual double standards. The ongoing conflict attracted the nation's top lawyers, including Alexander Hamilton, and shaped the development of American law. The crime and its consequences became a kind of parable about the power of seduction and the limits of justice. Eventually, Lanah Sawyer did succeed in holding her assailant accountable--but at a terrible cost to herself.

Based on rigorous historical detective work, this book takes us from a chance encounter in the street into the sanctuaries of the city's elite, the shadows of its brothels, and the despair of its debtors' prison. The Sewing Girl's Tale shows that if our laws and our culture were changed by a persistent young woman and the power of words two hundred years ago, they can be changed again.

Includes photographs

Number of Pages: 384

Dimensions: 1 x 8.9 x 5.8 IN

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

!Búscalo! (Look It Up!): A Quick Reference Guide to Spanish Grammar and Usage - Paperback

In stock

Report copyright infringementby William M. Clarkson (Author)"A novel approach--very useful for quick reference." --Mark Goldin, Associate Professo...
View full details

Original price $24.92 - Original price $24.92

Original price

$24.92

$24.92 - $24.92

Current price $24.92

| /

Original price $24.92 - Original price $24.92

Original price

$24.92

$24.92 - $24.92

Current price $24.92

| /
"A Serpentine Gesture": John Ashbery's Poetry - Paperback

In stock

Report copyright infringementby Elisabeth W. Joyce (Author)In "A Serpentine Gesture" John Ashbery's Poetry and Phenomenology Elisabeth W. Joyce exa...
View full details

Original price $63.07 - Original price $63.07

Original price

$63.07

$63.07 - $63.07

Current price $63.07

| /

Original price $63.07 - Original price $63.07

Original price

$63.07

$63.07 - $63.07

Current price $63.07

| /
"Alaska" Is Not a Blank Space - Hardcover

In stock

Report copyright infringementby Julianne Warren (Author)This Element supports Gwich'in, Iñupiat, and all Alaska Natives' collective continuance and...
View full details

Original price $143.94 - Original price $143.94

Original price

$143.94

$143.94 - $143.94

Current price $143.94

| /

Original price $143.94 - Original price $143.94

Original price

$143.94

$143.94 - $143.94

Current price $143.94

| /
"Alaska" Is Not a Blank Space - Paperback

In stock

Report copyright infringementby Julianne Warren (Author)This Element supports Gwich'in, Iñupiat, and all Alaska Natives' collective continuance and...
View full details

Original price $46.78 - Original price $46.78

Original price

$46.78

$46.78 - $46.78

Current price $46.78

| /

Original price $46.78 - Original price $46.78

Original price

$46.78

$46.78 - $46.78

Current price $46.78

| /
"B" is for Burglar - Paperback

In stock

Report copyright infringementby Sue Grafton (Author)B is for Burglar, Sue Grafton's #1 New York Times bestselling series reissued for a whole new g...
View full details

Original price $33.96 - Original price $33.96

Original price

$33.96

$33.96 - $33.96

Current price $33.96

| /

Original price $33.96 - Original price $33.96

Original price

$33.96

$33.96 - $33.96

Current price $33.96

| /

Shop collection

The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America - Paperback

Additional information

You may also like

!Búscalo! (Look It Up!): A Quick Reference Guide to Spanish Grammar and Usage - Paperback

"A Serpentine Gesture": John Ashbery's Poetry - Paperback

"Alaska" Is Not a Blank Space - Hardcover

"Alaska" Is Not a Blank Space - Paperback

"B" is for Burglar - Paperback